title: Quantum spin nanotubes--frustration, competing orders and criticalities.
abstract: Recent developments of theoretical studies on spin nanotubes are reviewed, especially focusing on the S = 1/2 three-leg spin tube. In contrast to the three-leg spin ladder, the tube has a spin gap in the case of the regular-triangle unit cell when the rung interaction is sufficiently large. The effective theory based on the Hubbard Hamiltonian indicates a quantum phase transition to a gapless spin liquid due to the lattice distortion to an isosceles triangle. This is also supported by the numerical diagonalization and the density matrix renormalization group analyses. Furthermore, combining analytical and numerical approaches, we reveal several novel magnetic-field-induced phenomena: Néel, dimer, chiral and/or inhomogeneous orders, a new mechanism for the magnetization plateau formation, and others. The recently synthesized spin tube materials are also briefly introduced.
authors.affiliation: Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Spring-8, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
authors.forename: Tôru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kiyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okunishi
authors.forename: Chigak
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Itoi
mesh_terms: D008958:Models, Molecular; D043942:Nanotubes; D011789:Quantum Theory